What’s going on

Jan

2016

Kanangra Boyd National Park

I had a couple of days off over Christmas and decided to head away. Knowing that this can be a crazy period for camping with the Christmas crowds I wasn’t overly thrilled by the idea but needed to get out of town for a couple of days anyway. We decided to head west and give Kanangra Boyd National Park a try, it’s an old favourite of mine. Thankfully there wasn’t many people set up at the campsite so we pitched our tent and made base.

Kanangra Boyd is a beautifully rugged national park to the west of Sydney. It is part of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage area. It is a designated wilderness area which means if you are don’t know what you are doing it certainly doesn’t pay to stray far from the path as there is a high chance you won’t be seen again. The National parks and wildlife service describe wilderness areas as “large, natural areas of land that, together with their native plant and animal communities, remain essentially unchanged by modern human activity.”We spent a couple of days here and just had a good look around although we didn’t stray from the paths ourselves.

One day was also spent driving out to the silver mining ghost town of Yerranderrie. Considering its close proximity to the outskirts of Sydney (probably around 50-80kms as the crow flies) this is one little remote town. It took us around 2.5 hrs to drive there from the nearest town along some beautifully scenic roads. Though a 2 wheel drive vehicle can make it a 4wd is suggested and would probably be a must on bad weather days. It’s an interesting little piece of history. As there is a campsite out there and it is such a long drive I would suggest to anyone looking to visit to spend a night out there and have a good look around. There is not a huge amount to see but it is a wonderful drive and you would almost certainly have the place to yourself as the sun starts to set.

The trip was finished off by what was supposed to be a quick visit to Jenolan Caves but it took a lot longer than we thought it might. We wanted to top out water bottles with some of the cave water and be on our way but we picked the wrong day for a quick visit. It seemed like half of Sydney had also picked that day to visit, all carparks were full and people were jamming the roads as they drove around looking for places to park. we just pulled over by the side of the road higher up and waited for the crowds to thin a bit.

Jenolan Caves is the one of the subterranean limestone jewels near Sydney. Being the most easily accessible it attracts the crowds, especially on the weekends and holidays. Its a beautiful spot and well worth a visit though I would recommend doing so through the week if it is an option. Another nearby option is Wombeyan Caves which though can be busy is not as bad as Jenolan can be.

: Bales of hay await collection in a field near Oberon

: Bales of hay await collection in a field near Oberon

: Termite Nest, Kanangra Boyd National Park

: The brush-tailed rock wallaby {Petrogale penicillata} is a commonly sighted local in the Kananngra Boyd National Park

: The silver mining ghost town of Yerranderrie deep in the heart of the Blue Mountains.

: The silver mining ghost town of Yerranderrie deep in the heart of the Blue Mountains.

: The silver mining ghost town of Yerranderrie deep in the heart of the Blue Mountains.

: The silver mining ghost town of Yerranderrie deep in the heart of the Blue Mountains.

: Along the Oberon to Colong Stock Route in the world heritage Blue Mountains.

: Along the Oberon to Colong Stock Route in the world heritage Blue Mountains.

: Looking out to Mt Cloudmaker from the Kanangra Walls lookout in the Kanangra Boyd National Park,

: Looking out to Mt Cloudmaker from the Kanangra Walls lookout in the Kanangra Boyd National Park,

: Jenolan House is the base for any visit through Jenolan Caves

: Carlotta Arch and the Blue Lake at the Jenolan Caves

: Sightseers wander in the pathways at Jenolan Caves.

: Termite Nest, Kanangra Boyd National Park

Jul

2015

Fire-Spinning

For a different type of Wednesday night some friends organised a small fire spinning in a special location in Sydney which I shall keep secret for now though I am sure that many of the light painting community know all about it. Due to the location being rather cramped they kept the event to a close knit group of friends and myself. I ended up, as I usually do when I’m with these guys, just watching the display and forgetting to take photos.

Fire-spinning is one of the harder things I have tried to photograph. Trying to capture enough ambient light without over-exposing the fire is the hard part, plus you still want to be able to show a certain amount of movement of the spinning and not have them look too static. Add on to that the fact that the flames change in brightness according to fuel levels and it all gets rather confusing. Slowly I think I am getting my head around it though.

: An evening of fire-spinning at a secret location in Sydney..

: An evening of fire-spinning at a secret location in Sydney..

: An evening of fire-spinning at a secret location in Sydney..

: An evening of fire-spinning at a secret location in Sydney..

: An evening of fire-spinning at a secret location in Sydney..

: An evening of fire-spinning at a secret location in Sydney..

: An evening of fire-spinning at a secret location in Sydney..

: An evening of fire-spinning at a secret location in Sydney..

: An evening of fire-spinning at a secret location in Sydney..

: An evening of fire-spinning at a secret location in Sydney..

: An evening of fire-spinning at a secret location in Sydney..

: An evening of fire-spinning at a secret location in Sydney..

: An evening of fire-spinning at a secret location in Sydney..

: An evening of fire-spinning at a secret location in Sydney..

: An evening of fire-spinning at a secret location in Sydney..

: An evening of fire-spinning at a secret location in Sydney..

: An evening of fire-spinning at a secret location in Sydney..

: An evening of fire-spinning at a secret location in Sydney..

: An evening of fire-spinning at a secret location in Sydney..

: An evening of fire-spinning at a secret location in Sydney..

: An evening of fire-spinning at a secret location in Sydney..

: An evening of fire-spinning at a secret location in Sydney..

: An evening of fire-spinning at a secret location in Sydney..

: An evening of fire-spinning at a secret location in Sydney..

: An evening of fire-spinning at a secret location in Sydney..

: An evening of fire-spinning at a secret location in Sydney..

May

2015

Sydney Series Cyclocross round 1

Today i spent the afternoon checking out the first round of the Sydney Series of the Cyclocross. It’s a kind of unique type of racing. The bikes are modified racing bikes and the course is a mix between short course road racing and a short xc track. Obstacles around the course are designed to make you get off and carry the bike over them. Races only run for 45 mins but they are short and intense. Looks like a bunch of fun and I hope to get back and shoot a few more soon.

: Round 1 of the Sydney series of Cyclocross at Terry Hills.

: Round 1 of the Sydney series of Cyclocross at Terry Hills.

: Round 1 of the Sydney series of Cyclocross at Terry Hills.

: Round 1 of the Sydney series of Cyclocross at Terry Hills.

: Round 1 of the Sydney series of Cyclocross at Terry Hills.

: Round 1 of the Sydney series of Cyclocross at Terry Hills.

: Round 1 of the Sydney series of Cyclocross at Terry Hills.

: Round 1 of the Sydney series of Cyclocross at Terry Hills.

: Round 1 of the Sydney series of Cyclocross at Terry Hills.

: Round 1 of the Sydney series of Cyclocross at Terry Hills.

: Round 1 of the Sydney series of Cyclocross at Terry Hills.

: Round 1 of the Sydney series of Cyclocross at Terry Hills.

: Round 1 of the Sydney series of Cyclocross at Terry Hills.

: Round 1 of the Sydney series of Cyclocross at Terry Hills.

: Round 1 of the Sydney series of Cyclocross at Terry Hills.

: Round 1 of the Sydney series of Cyclocross at Terry Hills.

Jan

2015

Redbull Stumps

Last Australia Day I was asked by Redbull to cover a new event they have started called Redbull Stumps. Redbull Stumps is basically a game of the old Australian tradition of backyard or street cricket. Redbull invited a bunch of locals including the local cricket game around for a hit and brought the stumps, drinks and put on a bbq. They also invited their women’s cricket star Ellyse Perry around to meet the locals and have a bash.

Despite threatening skies the weather held off and great fun was had by all at this small event.

#RBStumps

Jan

2015

Favourites of 2014

The shots below are probably my favourite images for 2014 all for different reasons, some personal and some just for the aesthetics of them. I’ll give you a quick rundown below each picture as to why they made my list. I’m sure there is a few others that slipped through but these stood out the most.

Aurora Australis

I got a photo of an Aurora!!! I had been shooting stars near Berridale in the Snowy Mountains and was packing up to leave. While I was waiting at the car for my friend to finish I decided to get another shot of the old tree using my torch to light it up. When I saw the purple glow on the horizon in the photo I was mostly confused, I had no idea that it was possible to see the aurora from so far North but I also knew there was no towns in that direction either. I couldn’t make it out just by looking at it either. After chatting with a few friendly locals later I found out that it had been a bumper night for the aurora down South and that I had inadvertently managed to take a shot of it.

Mike Ross, Cam’s Jam

This is Mike Ross going big at Cam’s Jam in Canberra. Cam’s Jam is a BMX event held on some of the biggest, if not the biggest, dirt jumps in Australia. They are located on Cam White’s property just outside of Canberra. I had been wanting to attend the event for a couple of years but for some reason or another had been unable. This year the event was invite only but I was lucky enough to be invited by the Born to Ride freestyle founder Mick Ross. Redbull had their photographers there who had the area locked down so they could film. So I just settled in and watched the amazing talents on display. I met a bunch of new people many of whom I have had the pleasure of shooting with again since.

Shimano GP, Round 2, James Estate, 2014.

James Estate Shimano Gp

At the start of the James Estate round of Rocky Trail Entertainment‘s Shimano GP I Had the pleasure of going up in an ultralight and shooting the race from above. The James Estate round is already a unique race as it wends its way through the vineyards and casks of the James Estate Winery. Getting the chance to shoot it from above was both breathtaking and exhilarating. I would certainly jump at the chance to do it again too. Hint hint.

Dominic Di Tommaso

Another thing that I had wanted to shoot for a long time but never seemed to have had the chance was free-running or parkour. I got chatting to Dominic Di Tommaso on Facebook through the Sydney Parkour group. Dominic is probably one of the best in Australia and his skills take him around the world, from competing in Greece in The Art Of Motion to China to shoot commercials. We arranged a shoot and I have since shot with Dominic again and although I have better shots I still like this one for the simplicity.

Jaie Toohey, X-up Festival

This year X-up took place at Greenvalleys Freeride Park to the South of Wollongong. It was combined with the state round of the downhill which I had to cover with Outer Image. I did my first shoot for Redbull at X-up this year covering their involvement in X-up for their in-house newsletter.

Mona Vale Rock Pool Storm

We had a patch of great stormy weather last winter. This was taken on one of those evenings when the rain had held off for a short spell but the clouds were still threatening. I had tried for a couple of nights to get the shot where the lights at the pool had come on and there was still enough ambient light to still get surroundings but had been thwarted by the rain. Persistence paid off and I got the shot I had hoped for.

Wet Sydney

This came from another of those wet and rainy patches where I was housebound by the weather. A break in the rain and I shot out. I wanted to get the city lights reflected in puddles but, well, only managed one. Still one is better than none and it will give me something to work on through this year as well.

My Feet and 220m of nothing

Technically this shot is nothing special but I love it for the memory it evokes. These are my feet dangling in the middle of a 70m highline with nothing below me until the valley floor 220m down. Thanks, guys for talking me into going out on the line.

Margot Schneider, North Black Range Bouldering

I had been wanting to start shooting bouldering again for a while but the opportunity had just not presented itself. I got chatting to Duncan Brown who organises the North Black Range Bouldering Festival and he invited me down for the weekend to cover it. Sitting around the campfire talking with a few people we had an idea to do a few night shots. This was the outcome of one of those shots.

Victorian Alps Sunrise

When I go away I like to find somewhere special to stay. This was the view from my camp in the Victorian Alps when I went down there to cover the Thule B24. It’s hard to go wrong when all the elements come together like this. I couldn’t find a hotel with million-dollar views like this.

Nighttime at the Thule B24

Taken during the Thule B24, a 24-hour endurance race in the Victorian Alps around Bright. Although it wasn’t quite fully dark when I took this it was dark enough for the riders to switch their lights on and the rest I lit with flashes. This shot has inspired me to go out and take more night shots and to me, any of my photos that inspire me to move forward and progress my craft is a good shot.

Joel Willis, Ourimbah

The shot above is of Joel Willis. A few years ago when I first started shooting mountain biking I came across this berm at Ourimbah. Being on the XC track I knew not many of the enduro riders would hit it and I put it to the back of my mind. This year I arranged a shoot with Joel planning on shooting at his local trail near Lithgow. A last-minute change of plans saw us at Ourimbah. I knew Joel would be able to put the berm to good use. It took us a few shots to get the timing and everything right but after years in the planning I finally got the shot I wanted.

Jetblack 24hr Sunrise

One of the great things about shooting 24-hour races is that as a photographer I get the chance to cover all lighting situations, from the black of night to the harsh midday sun. Often it’s the fleeting moments at sunset and sunrise that give some of the best light though. At the Jetblack 24hr, I had been scrambling a bit to find a shot that showed off the morning light. At one point I turned around to see if any riders were coming up the hill and saw this beautiful golden light filtering through the trees, lighting up the dust in the air and backlighting the rider as they came around the corner. I knew straight away that this was the shot I had been looking for.

So here’s to a productive year ahead. I have a few big plans for this year and I’m hoping things all come to fruition. I hope everyone has a wonderful new year ahead of them and thanks for being behind me during 2014.

Richard

Nov

2014

North Black Range Bouldering Festival

I went down to Canberra to catch up with Duncan Brown, a professional climber and boulderer. Each year Duncan puts on a bouldering festival in the North Black Range near Canberra. The area is strewn with large granite boulders and Duncan has developed a mass of boulder problems and is still putting more in.

The festival was small key which was nice being that it is held in a National Park but it definitely has the potential to be larger still. There was probably about 50 people or so over the weekend who all split into groups and went off exploring the various areas. The whole region is so large that it was rare for two groups to bump into each other unless it was intentional.

In the evening a series of games were held around the campsite. Prizes were given out by the event sponsors for events such as crashpad stacking and who could do the most pull ups on a flake of rock. All in all a nice relaxing time away and good to be out and shoot something different for myself again.